Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:59 pm Post subject: how do i know if gentoo is right for me

im kinda new to linux but i worked on some other operating systems mac and windows
how do i know if gentoo is right for me, im tired of windows, and i wanted to know ,can gentoo run like my favorite programms like cs and aim msn messenger and perl programming supportive.

The first question is whether linux is right for you. But that's very easy to answer: go get Ubuntu or Kubuntu liveCD and try the liveCD version or install it. Get familiar with the programs and see if you like it. If this is the case, then you might want to try Gentoo. The main advantage of Gentoo is that you can configure the system exactly the way you want it. But in order to do so, you have to know how you want it configured
So for this, I suggest you to play around with some Linux liveCD for a week or two, and then try to mimic such a setup with Gentoo but more taylored to your needs.

That's my suggestion, but of course you can also try Gentoo at once, altghough it will be tougher and I don't see any advantage. The main goal of Gentoo is configurability and customization to your needs, that is, complete control of what you want. But for that you need to have a basic wish or concept in mind. If you try a liveCD, you have nothing to lose!

Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:14 pm Post subject: Re: how do i know if gentoo is right for me

perlrpy wrote:

im kinda new to linux but i worked on some other operating systems mac and windows
how do i know if gentoo is right for me, im tired of windows, and i wanted to know ,can gentoo run like my favorite programms like cs and aim msn messenger and perl programming supportive.

Linux does not support Windows executables, it uses ELF binaries for the most part. There are many clients that can connect to the AIM and MSN protocol (That are better than the official clients, IMO.. AIM actually offers an official client but it sucks).

You'll most likely be using another client that connects to the same protocol.

For Counter-Strike, you'll only be able to run it through WINE, Cedega, or something similar (A Windows API substitute).

For Perl, yes.. Linux definitely is a big supporter of Perl.

As the one who posted above me, try a few live CDs and read a bit of things about it.

Well is Gentoo right for you is a very hard question to answer. I have been running linux off and on for a few years and tried different distros. I recently gave Gentoo a shot and I am hooked. I have a dual boot win/linux box and I am running on gentoo about 90% of the time.

If you want to try and give gentoo a shot be prepared for a steep learning curve and have some patients. The prefered way to install gentoo is still in a command line setup. This can be done from the live CD which gives you a grapichal gui similar to windows from which you can install gentoo. There is another option on the live CD which has a gui installer which will configure the kernel for you and install the software, however I tried this option and felt that the performance was a little slower then going through the command line setup.

The install time can also take a while depending on how you install the system. The gui installer can do an install in about 1 hour or 2. The command line installer can take upwards of 7 hours to configure the system get the software and compile it.

Take a look at this link which covers the install documentation for the various methods. Look through them and it can give you an idea of what you are getting into.

Someone who is new to linux could install gentoo, you will learn a lot about linux in just the installation process alone. The installation documentation is decent and the forum support is great. If you are willing to learn and looking for a challenge give gentoo a shot. If not take a look at one of the other distros that were recomended in the other posts.

If you are new to Gentoo, I agree that the only way to know is to test it.

However, in my opinion, if you are new to Linux (not just Gentoo), I would first try Ubuntu or any liveCD of your choice for a week. The reason is that this will smooth the transition incredibly, because one of the main problems after installing Gentoo is that you are left with a console and you don't know what the hell to do. If you have a reference, something that you liked in the past, you will work towards that but in your own way.

My suggestion:
if you are new to Gentoo but familiar with Linux: go for it
if you are completely new to Linux: try a liveCD for a week, and once you know what you can have then go for Gentoo

I've been using Gentoo for over one year and I still boot other distros (Ubuntu or Kororaa) on a VMware machine sometimes to see which apps are new, how they do stuff, which icons the choose, etc.

When you dream of compiling software in your sleep and you really wish there was a way to take all your manual compiles and manage them all, you know Gentoo is for you._________________Keep Your Toolchain Stable! - emwrap.sh